Policy
programme for employment, entrepreneurship and worklife

In order to
secure a sound basis for economic growth, employment and the welfare society,
it will be necessary to improve productivity and the standard of quality of the
working environment over the next few decades, with productivity playing an
increasingly important part as people are ageing.

A new
Finnish modus operandi will be worked out to create greater harmony between job
security and flexibility. Promoting these objectives side by side will help
respond to the needs of both the employer and employees.

The
programme will be prepared and implemented in consultation with the labour
market and entrepreneur organisations. The policy programme is designed to ensure
true commitment to jointly established strategic goals on the part of the
various parties. Due consideration in the course of preparation will be given
to the proposal by the working group, appointed by the Ministry of Labour, as
to the enhancement of productivity and the standard of quality of worklife.

Proper
consideration will be given in the policy programme to the views presented in
the appointed working group’s report to an incentive-oriented social security
system. In particular, the implementation of the political programme calls for
an analysis of how to extend the working careers of ageing personnel in the
context of the envisaged incentive social security system.

The policy
programme will also take due account of the new guidelines presented in the
government programme designed to renew employment policies calling for early
intervention in order to prevent social exclusion. Resources will be allocated
to measures that offer the greatest potential in terms of improving the
employment of those out of work.

The policy
programme foresees reforms across administrative divisions and institutional
changes. Central positions are as follows:

In order to improve
productivity and support a higher employment rate, an extensive survey
will be carried out to explore the reasons why new jobs are not created
and, in particular, why the threshold for employing the first new employee
is so high. At the same time, an attempt will be made to identify the
factors which affect the employability of individuals. Steps will be taken
to remove such obstacles without compromising the security of employees.

To promote the availability of
labour, steps will be promoted to shorten the time required for completing
degrees, extend work careers, increase the incentive aspect of social
security, and promote work-based immigration. Projects to reconcile work
and family life will be promoted. At the same time, the programme will
need to find ways of improving job satisfaction and well-being at work.

Admission rates to education
will be adjusted to respond to the demand of labour. A project will be
launched to identify fields of activity suffering from a shortage of
labour, and steps taken in the context of a project involving a range of
actors to improve the situation. Foresighting resources, to predict the
need of labour and its implications for training and education, will be
evaluated.

In the face of on-going change,
steps will be taken to address the discrepancy between jobs and
job-seekers; this is partly due to regional discrepancies or the
incompatibility of the required qualifications and employee skills. Professional
and geographical mobility will be increased. Apprenticeship, supplementary
and postqualification training (also involving universities) will be
expanded and made more responsive to demand.

As in the past, a permanent
employment relationship will remain a guarantee for job security and
productivity. However, the new modi operandi call for greater flexibility
in the labour market. The goal is to strike a balance between sound
business environments, various forms of employment, and job security. At
the same time, steps will have to be taken to improve the position of
people holding atypical jobs and positions.

Additionally, the political
programme will support the measures undertaken in the individual
administrative sectors to encourage entrepreneurship and to remove the
impediments to the growth of firms and companies. Entrepreneur training
will be promoted, tax incentives increased and the social security of
entrepreneurs improved. Additionally, inputs will be made to promote
management and business skills in support of innovations.